MP explains why he didn’t vote for UOC-banning law

MP Valerii Zub. Photo: Zub’s Facebook

Member of Parliament from the Chernihiv region, Valerii Zub, explained in an interview with Suspilne why he did not support Bill No. 8371, commonly referred to as the law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

According to him, passing the law could exacerbate societal tensions in Ukraine.

"I believe this issue was brought up at the wrong time – right now, in the midst of war, when tensions in society are already growing, and when we are facing many challenges and problems that are creating an unstable situation," said the MP, emphasizing that the law "has sparked numerous controversial incidents."

In response to the journalist’s claim that “Russia has direct influence over the UOC-MP” and that this has allegedly “already been proven by law enforcement,” Zub said he is unaware of such evidence.

"Maybe this is happening somewhere, but definitely not in Chernihiv," he said.

The MP noted that Ukraine should have its own faith, but he believes building it through bans is the wrong approach. “I don’t want this to happen through political means,” Valerii Zub stressed.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to MP Mykyta Poturaev, Ukrainian authorities had spent a long time explaining to the U.S. why the UOC should be banned.

Read also